Brush cutters are utilized in conjunction with construction activities as cable laying, road building, forest thinning, fire breaks, farming, etc. and are mounted on large tractor, power driven vehicles which are capable of propelling themselves through and over difficult terrain and many times encounter hidden objects such as boulders and rocks which traditional equipment strike with the cutting edge of the large, rotating cutting blade, causing damage to the teeth of the cutting blade. The mounting arrangement of the teeth on the rotary support member is generally rigid and on contact with an object such as a boulder or rock the teeth are damaged and must be replaced. This is time consuming and requires expensive replacement parts and labor. Also, the severe shock can damage other components on the vehicle such as hydraulic seals, bearings, etc., which can require a major overhaul.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and improved cutter blade with teeth that are spring loaded.
Another object is to provide a mounting plate for the teeth which can be deflexed upward or downward.
Still another object is to provide means to replace the spring loaded teeth in the field by the operator in a minimum amount of time and effort.
Yet another object is to provide hinged mounts on the cutter blade mounting plate which can move upward or downward but in operation is held substantially in a horizontal plane by rotational centrifugal force.
Another important object is to provide hinged, multiple plates for the teeth that are designed substantially in the shape of a section of a circle with its outer end beginning substantially at the cutting tooth and terminating at its distal end nearer the center of its rotational mounting means.
Still another object is to provide limiting means for the hinged mounting plate.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent when taken into consideration with the following specifications and drawings.